Win XP and MS Office 2003: No more support - help!

[Judd]

A thought struck me last night; a rare occurrence.

Seems the move is towards having everything online; documents, spreadsheets, banking details, accounting packages, even operating software.

So what happens when you die and the executor of your Will has to sort the mess out?

A morbid question but it is one which will face each and everyone of us or rather those who have to sweep up the tailings.

I answered my own question by typing out, printing and leaving it close to my Will each and every detail of my access codes passwords and the like. No doubt the security pundits will reel back in horror but I haven't seen anywhere where this issue has been addressed but maybe I haven't looked hard enough.

In any event, should some despicable bugger ransack my home, I strongly doubt they with bother all that much with a crumpled envelope at the bottom of my underwear drawer.

 

[rumpole]

A thought struck me last night; a rare occurrence.

Seems the move is towards having everything online; documents, spreadsheets, banking details, accounting packages, even operating software.

So what happens when you die and the executor of your Will has to sort the mess out?

A morbid question but it is one which will face each and everyone of us or rather those who have to sweep up the tailings.

I answered my own question by typing out, printing and leaving it close to my Will each and every detail of my access codes passwords and the like. No doubt the security pundits will reel back in horror but I haven't seen anywhere where this issue has been addressed but maybe I haven't looked hard enough.

In any event, should some despicable bugger ransack my home, I strongly doubt they with bother all that much with a crumpled envelope at the bottom of my underwear drawer.

The apparently increasing use of "Cloud" storage is surely disturbing. Having all your personal data on someone elses computer leads to the potential of mass hacking, identity theft bank account raids and more.

No one can convince me that cloud storage is secure and private, what can be encrypted can be hacked.

 

[Judd]

The apparently increasing use of "Cloud" storage is surely disturbing. Having all your personal data on someone elses computer leads to the potential of mass hacking, identity theft bank account raids and more.

No one can convince me that cloud storage is secure and private, what can be encrypted can be hacked.

True but that is not the issue I raised.

And Admin, I've put this in the incorrect thread and should have started a new one . Any chance of moving the relevant posts to a new thread?

 

[Logique]

.....BTW - how much is your budget for the new computer?

I think around $1,000 should get me the basic hardware 8GB RAM/ single use software I need. I'll go with Windows 7-HP and Excel/Word/Powerpoint 2010. Not Outlook, as I've I've heard that Windows Live Mail is ok, or otherwise there's Thunderbird or Inky. For all it's failings, I'm going to miss Outlook Express.

IE of course comes bundled with the OS, but I agree with those who like Chrome, I use it myself.

Grumpy about it all, but if WinXP & Office2003 aren't going to be supported, there's little option.

 

[Judd]

I think around $1,000 should get me the basic hardware 8GB RAM/ single use software I need. I'll go with Windows 7-HP and Excel/Word/Powerpoint 2010. Not Outlook, as I've I've heard that Windows Live Mail is ok, or otherwise there's Thunderbird or Inky. For all it's failings, I'm going to miss Outlook Express.

IE of course comes bundled with the OS, but I agree with those who like Chrome, I use it myself.

Grumpy about it all, but if WinXP & Office2003 aren't going to be supported, there's little option.

That is interesting. I actually thought that Outlook was included with the Office 2010 suite of products.

The whole thing is really annoying as it is so easy to become totally confused. Getting a straight, fair dinkum answer from the seller of this stuff is akin to extracting teeth without the benefit of an anesthetic - painful.

That reminds me. If any of my acquaintances decide not to upgrade because they is lazy or work on the "she'll be right" method, I'll have to cross them off my Christmas Card list as I don't want them sending me any infected stuff as I would hazard a guess that virus checkers and the like are not 100% certain.

 

[Logique]

That is interesting. I actually thought that Outlook was included with the Office 2010 suite...

Not if you choose the Home and Student version, you'd have to upgrade to Home and Business to get Outlook.

Here's something else that I discovered, Win7 Home Premium won't allow backups to a network device (eg an external drive). You'd have to upgrade to Win 7 Pro or Ultimate to get this feature. Or otherwise use third party backup software, seems to be plenty out there, some are free. There is a workaround available involving creation of an internal virtual drive, but I don't think I'll bother.

Microsoft not on my Christmas card list at this point.

 

[Judd]

Not if you choose the Home and Student version, you'd have to upgrade to Home and Business to get Outlook.

Here's something else that I discovered, Win7 Home Premium won't allow backups to a network device (eg an external drive). You'd have to upgrade to Win 7 Pro or Ultimate to get this feature. Or otherwise use third party backup software, seems to be plenty out there, some are free. There is a workaround available involving creation of an internal virtual drive, but I don't think I'll bother.

Microsoft not on my Christmas card list at this point.

Now I am totally confused. I just had a look "Control Panel>System." Shows I am running Win 7 Home Premium and I have been using "Control Panel>Backup and Restore" to backup to an external hard drive via a USB. Had a gander at the external hard drive and, yep, the latest backup done on Sunday is there.

Not saying you're wrong but as I've said above nothing is simple with this darn stuff. Now I am wondering what the heck I actually do have. Maybe I should simply go with the flow.

 

[Garpal Gumnut]

I must admit to having no sympathy for WIN or MS Office users.

I changed to Apple 5 years ago, and it is the best thing I have ever done.

Max 15 secs from starting computer to doing work, seamless, intuitive and it works !!

You require very little support on a Mac.

Because it works.

gg

 

[Judd]

Bully for you, GG.

 

[Garpal Gumnut]

Bully for you, GG.

Thanks Judd,

Once you get over the obscene markup on Mac, it is plain sailing.

Computers should assist, rather than be a part of the problem.

All this kerfuffle over Win and MS Office is because it is a crook product. Plain and simple.

gg

 

[Logique]

Now I am totally confused. I just had a look "Control Panel>System." Shows I am running Win 7 Home Premium and I have been using "Control Panel>Backup and Restore" to backup to an external hard drive via a USB. Had a gander at the external hard drive and, yep, the latest backup done on Sunday is there.
Not saying you're wrong but as I've said above nothing is simple with this darn stuff. Now I am wondering what the heck I actually do have. Maybe I should simply go with the flow.

No that's an important point. Confusing is the word, I derived this belief from: http://social.technet.microsoft.com...926d105/windows-7-home-premium-network-backup
So I'll have to check on this again.

 

[Judd]

Thanks Judd,

Once you get over the obscene markup on Mac, it is plain sailing.

Computers should assist, rather than be a part of the problem.

All this kerfuffle over Win and MS Office is because it is a crook product. Plain and simple.

gg

No probs, GG. Considered a Mac, and I can easily afford one, but it wasn't suitable for my purposes.

 

[Judd]

No that's an important point. Confusing is the word, I derived this belief from: http://social.technet.microsoft.com...926d105/windows-7-home-premium-network-backup
So I'll have to check on this again.

Hmm, another guess here but isn't a network is different to a drive or DVD. Soooo, yes to an external hard drive but no to network? Merely a guess.

Depends on what you need to backup to if that's the case.

 

[rumpole]

Unrelated to the OP , but has anyone had experience of Linux ?

Is it suitable for a basic email & browser type machine ? Can you run Windows under it ?

 

[Smurf1976]

I can follow the reasoning for "support" being needed for an operating system, but surely not for Office?

What can possibly need "supporting" with a spreadsheet, word processor etc? It's a program and if it works now then it should work forever. At least it should unless it's been deliberately programmed to self destruct after a certain time.

From a longer term perspective, a PC is pretty much a fully developed technology these days. It's not like 20 years ago when there was a real, obvious benefit to upgrading. Apart from a few little bits of no real consequence, a new one will for most users do nothing that an older one won't. For some it will, but not for most.

 

[sptrawler]

I can follow the reasoning for "support" being needed for an operating system, but surely not for Office?

What can possibly need "supporting" with a spreadsheet, word processor etc? It's a program and if it works now then it should work forever. At least it should unless it's been deliberately programmed to self destruct after a certain time.

From a longer term perspective, a PC is pretty much a fully developed technology these days. It's not like 20 years ago when there was a real, obvious benefit to upgrading. Apart from a few little bits of no real consequence, a new one will for most users do nothing that an older one won't. For some it will, but not for most.

If you are on a modem connected computer with an encrypted(difficult) password.
Why would you worry if XP isn't supported?

I can't understand why it is such a big deal, untill a programme you want to use is 64 bit.

If all your current programmes service your requirements, what's the problem?

 

[Judd]

I can follow the reasoning for "support" being needed for an operating system, but surely not for Office?

What can possibly need "supporting" with a spreadsheet, word processor etc? It's a program and if it works now then it should work forever. At least it should unless it's been deliberately programmed to self destruct after a certain time.

From a longer term perspective, a PC is pretty much a fully developed technology these days. It's not like 20 years ago when there was a real, obvious benefit to upgrading. Apart from a few little bits of no real consequence, a new one will for most users do nothing that an older one won't. For some it will, but not for most.

Good question. Don't know. Maybe it has something to do with how the product is used. I don't send spreadsheets or word documents and the like to others. Mostly I just type 'em and don't save 'em because they are usually a one-off and don't remain on my PC . Could have something to do with it.

 

[Logique]

For me it's about managing risk, but we must each make our own call on that.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2038505/for-securitys-sake-upgrade-to-a-newer-version-of-office.html
For security's sake, upgrade to a newer version of Office
- Lincoln Spector @lincolnspector May 23, 2013

...I asked Veli-Jussi Kesti, Director of Security Products for F-Secure, whether an up-to-date antivirus program can protect PCs with an out-of-date, unprotected version of Office. "Antivirus programs will be able to pick up quite a few of [the] possible exploits for even outdated software," he told me, "but not all."

How serious the threat will be depends on whether malware authors target Office 2003. Right now, according to Kesti, "outdated Java, flash players and PDF readers are the most attacked software; having one of those is a very dangerous game even with an up-to-date antivirus."

For the moment, Office isn't heavily targeted, "but the threat is for sure there and if Microsoft really leaves the suite vulnerable," that could change. "As a rule of thumb, unsupported software is not as safe as up-to-date software."...

 

[rumpole]

For me it's about managing risk, but we must each make our own call on that.

What a great way for Microsoft to earn even more megabucks.

Deny support for a product then play the fear game.

A great example of corporate good citizenship.

 

[Samson 9]

Re: Win XP no more support - MS Office 2003 no more support - help!!

Sadly for me one piece of software I liked and was using since 1994 was lost as it was not compatible but anyway I have lost the install disks which were 3 1/2".

If your old PC is still working you can pack up your windows XP with the free "VM Ware Player" and run it on your new windows 7 PC as a virtual program and keep using your old programs. Just ensure that the virtual Player can't access the internet to keep the bugs out!

Sam